Out of My Mind
by AliSoulshine
Summary: Quinn has lived in Forks, Washington her whole life, but it has consisted of taking care of her own parents. Her father: schizophrenic. Her mother: alcoholic. When her grandparents come down from Alaska to live with her family, Quinn gets her chance at a real life, unknowingly venturing into the world of wolves and magic.


Quinn had lived in Forks, Washington her whole life, but her life had consisted of taking care of her own parents. Her father was schizophrenic, and her mother was an alcoholic. When her grandparents came down from Alaska to live with her family, Quinn gets her chance at a real life.

"Stop it! Stop it! They're trying to kill me!"

Quinn groaned, and rolled out of bed for the third time that night. She didn't even bother turning on the light in her room, and made her way up the stairs and down the hall of the two- story house, feeling her way down the carpeted hallway until she found the first doorknob on the left.

Quinn hesitated opening the door though, unsure of what would greet her when she turned the knob. Listening at the door for a few moments, Quinn could only hear heavy breathing, and the occasional muttering of a deep, but frightened voice.

Quinn decided she would just get it over with, and opened the door slowly, making her way into the room cautiously.

"Quinn, please don't come in HERE!" the man said, his face mixed with fear and anger, spittle and sweat dripping down his stubbly, grey chin.

"It's okay," the girl replied, "the monster won't get you, he's gone away already." She said this as calmly as she could, her patience running thin. This was the third time Quinn had woken up in the night, and of course _she_ wouldn't help.

"B- but Quinn, he… he came and said that he would kill me. He's going to kill me! He told me to not believe you!" the man was back into hysterics, his voice once again rising. "He's right behind you! Please leave!" He ducked his head into his hands, sitting on his quilted mattress and muttering to himself once again.

Quinn went over to the bed, and sat down next to him. "It's alright Dad, he's gone now, and I'm here." He seemed to calm down a bit as she sat with him for a few more minutes, holding his hand. Quinn gently pushed him back to his bed after a moment, wiping his sweaty, hot forehead. She made sure he was comfortable before leaving the room.

Quinn headed back downstairs to her own room, and collapsed back into the warm sheets, taking no more than a few moments to fall back into a light sleep.

Quinn Patterson was not disillusioned in her life. She understood her situation perfectly, almost too well. She didn't need to dwell on the questions she had asked when she was younger, questions such as "What if my dad didn't have schizophrenia?" or "What would have happened if my mom never took to drinking instead of caring for her family?". Her role in the family as the sole caretaker was not wanted, but then again, who else would keep things running? Who else would be able to take care of her finicky father, or her mother, who could barely contain herself around a bottle of tequila?

Quinn was a realist. She didn't need daydreams or other such fantasies to keep her going, her reality was enough to keep her busy every waking moment she had. Her sanity was the only thing she had.

XXXXXXXXXX

Quinn groggily rolled out of bed, the alarm clock on her phone insistently buzzing on her dresser. She tapped her alarm off, and stretched in bed, relaxing for one more leisurely moment. Looking at the clock, Quinn blearily realized it was 5:30, perfect timing.

Quinn set about getting ready for the day, beginning the morning ritual of cleaning up around the house and preparing breakfast. Even when he was in control of his schizophrenia, Quinn's father still liked to have his house looking a certain way. You could say that he was a bit OCD even before the family found out about his psychological disorder.

This was the life Quinn had always known. It wasn't very long after she was born before her father found out that he had schizophrenia, and Quinn's mother had a hard time, dealing with a newborn on her hip and a husband whose mental condition was constantly questionable.

She never used to drink when Quinn was around. It wasn't until Quinn turned seven when she actually started drinking heavily, when her father's mental condition worsened. Something in her mother broke, and Quinn had to take more care of her dad than any child should have to at that age.

In a way, it wasn't her mother's fault. She knew how hard it was being with someone who couldn't really connected with you in reality, who didn't really have a sense of their own life at times, but Quinn had coped, and still loved her father with undying devotion. Quinn, at times, felt sorry for her mother, but knew that she no longer loved her father in any romantic sense. Quinn knew she thought of him as more of an expense than anything else, part of her way to cope with losing her husband to the mental illness. Quinn couldn't help it, but she had a mild dislike for her mother, mostly for leaving her on her own when dealing with Quinn's father. She was there physically, sure, but not emotionally.

In the past years, her mother had only gotten worse. The smallest things would require a drink, and then another drink, until eventually there was no turning back. Quinn couldn't really remember a time when her mother hadn't relied on her to get the simplest tasks done, whether it was cooking or going to work or getting dressed.

In some aspects, Quinn's childhood was gone long before she had even reached her prepubescent teen years, her mother's lack of caring largely responsible. But Quinn wasn't one to turn down challenges, and her family was the biggest ongoing challenge that Quinn could possibly handle.

Quinn's mother was Charlotte Patterson, but before she was Charlotte Randolph. Quinn's parents met in college; her mother was going to be a surgical nurse, and her dad, William Patterson, was going to be a kindergarten teacher. It was an unlikely pairing, but what they didn't have in common they made up for in passion. It wasn't soon before they were dating, but the unexpected happens when people least expect it.

Charlotte's pregnancy was unplanned, but not unwanted. After many late night discussions about their future, Quinn's mother and father decided to get married. Charlotte dropped out of school, much to her parent's disapproval, and Will supported Charlotte while staying in school.

It wasn't long before Quinn was born, and by that time Will was already finished with college, and had already taught about one month of school with his very first kindergarten class. They were well off, and were progressing as a family, but then it happened: one day Will came home, and said that Charlotte and baby Quinn shouldn't sit on the couch, because the spiders in the couch sent messages to the government. Of course Charlotte thought he was just kidding, perhaps just a quirky joke not understood, and proceeded through daily life, Charlotte happily caring for Quinn while Will continued to work. There were warning signs, but one day he just snapped.

The small family had been driving to a restaurant, Will thinking it would be fun to hang out of the car window by his waist. Quinn was crying hysterically in the backseat, and Charlotte was yelling and screaming at Will . Charlotte had to stop the car, and when she did he kept telling the two about how 'the monster' was telling him to, and that it was his duty to stop all of the police officers from sending messages to the government, and how the government was going to kill everyone.

That was the point of which Charlotte started falling out of love with Quinn's unfortunate father. It wasn't that he had done anything wrong; it was never his fault to begin with, but Charlotte didn't see the same man that she had met in college.

Charlotte now worked at a grocery store, so Quinn usually had to drive her there, and pick her up from work. The main reason why Quinn drove her was so that she could make sure Charlotte actually got to work, rather than staying at home, passed out on the couch all day, as well as to make sure she got to work safely. Charlotte was drunk so often that she found it hard to do anything alone, Quinn in constant fear that she would hurt herself or others. If she wasn't drunk, she'd be hungover and miserable, so it was a miracle the small grocery continued to employ Charlotte.

Quinn, not one to become the small- town truant, attended online high school. It was something she herself had decided for herself in 8th grade. She was the only child in school that had no parent would came to a single play, musical, or even school parent teacher conference. Quinn had always been a shy girl, but adding in the fact that she was nearly almost always alone both in and out of school, she really didn't fit in. Her need to be physically present in school were insignificant compared to her need to be at home, and therefore her enrollment into home schooling was established, much to her mother's relief, who was simply relieved to not have the responsibility of knowing her daughter's whereabouts and schedule.

Quinn didn't really have any friends, considering the unusual circumstances that she lived with, but it seemed alright with her. She was never a kid who really needed companionship, but still felt the twinge of loneliness from time to time. It was only natural for her to feel like that. Sometimes Quinn felt herself wishing for a hoard of friends, or a boyfriend who would help her through hard times with her mom and dad.

Quinn found it amazing that she had lived in Forks her whole life, but not once had she really met any kids her own age. Sure, she saw them around, but never have the courage to go up to them and talk, let alone hang out. They usually would already be talking to their own friends, too busy to even notice Quinn lingering near them. She recognized faces from her part time job and years in public school, but who would care to remember the quite, subdued girl no one wanted to hang out with? The thought of trying to talk to anyone else Quinn didn't know scared her.

Anyways, after Quinn wakes up she usually had to make sure that the house was at least orderly, and somewhat clean, before she had to wake up her father, and shake her mother to get her to take a shower and go to work.

Quinn walked down the hallway from her room, and strolled into the kitchen, where she turned to the sink and did the dishes. She then set out three place mats on the light wooden table in the small kitchen. It was Tuesday, so that meant the blue place mats should be placed on the table, per her father's requests.

She then went into the living room where her mother was sleeping on the couch. She had her own room, but she was usually too tired or drunk to make it all the way up the stairs when she came home in the early mornings.

When Quinn walked into the living room, she saw that the fireplace needed to be lit; it was late November, and they usually kept the fire going all year round, or at least from early autumn into spring. After the fire was started, and everything was back in order in the living room, Quinn grabbed a duster, noticing the neglected, dusty surfaces. She dusted everything in the living room, and then went into the study.

The study was by far Quinn's favorite room in the whole house. It gave the effect of a Victorian mansion almost, with beautiful rugs and paintings upon the wall. The dark mahogany desk was where Quinn would usually spent her hours online, whether it was for school or not. But the beautiful carved desk and matching chair were not her favorite part of the room: the large bay window was.

The house was built on a hill, so the window looked out over the back of the house and into the vast, dense expanse of forest. The house was near the border of the Quileute reservation, and as Quinn glanced out the window she could see a small stretch of beach belonging to the reservation, frothy blackish blue waves washing up and down with the tide.

Quinn would stare out that window all day and not be bored. There were so many things Quinn seemed to notice, but other people would pass it off as an everyday occurrence, not thinking to give a second glance. Quinn considered it to be a shame; so many things had the potential to be so beautiful, if only people paid attention to what really happened around them. Quinn recognized and appreciated things that went on around her, because she had the volition to do so; her father wasn't as lucky.

After she finish cleaning, and made sure her mom is in the shower, Quinn started making breakfast. She glanced into the fridge, finding the last few eggs and some spare bacon to griddle up. Everything had to be arranged perfectly, or her father would take notice, and things would alway got out of hand when not completely perfect.

Quinn assumed the reason why her father wanted everything to be so organized was because even if he didn't have complete control over his mind, he still had control over how his house was run. Quinn was fine with the specifics, as long as her father was happy in his current life.

Quinn finished making eggs and bacon, and served a portion onto each plate, and heard footsteps come downstairs. She smiled a knowing smile.

"Hi Papa!" Quinn greeted, smiling at her father. "Good morning darling." He said, patting my head. She chuckled. This is what their morning greeting usually is.

"I have to take mother to work; will you be okay while I leave?" Quinn asked. She was always worried Papa would have a fit when she wasn't there, and something bad would happen to him. "Oh course darling. I'll probably read the paper while you're gone." He replied, taking a bite of crunchy bacon. Quinn nodded and made her way upstairs.

Quinn made her way to the closed bedroom door next to her own room, and knocked. A few seconds later a woman a few inched shorter than Quinn emerged from the dimly lit room.

While Quinn wasn't very tall, only about 5'5", her mother was even shorter. With unruly, curly brown hair and large blue eyes, she was once very beautiful. Of course, aging and stress had transformed her. Grey streaked through her hair, and large purple bags were under her eyes, no doubt from her hangover and lack of quality sleep. Quinn looked down at her outfit; black pants and the required baby blue shirt from her work with the grocery store logo on the breast pocket.

"Are you ready to leave mother?" Quinn asked. She still seemed a little out of it, and Quinn was more than a little reluctant to send her off to work. She nodded though, and Quinn assumed that she wasn't that out of it.

They went back downstairs together, Charlotte following her daughter closely, stumbling slightly down every other step. Quinn directed her to sit down, and forced her to eat all of her breakfast before giving her three ibuprofen tablets. It would hopefully help with her headache she was no doubt suffering from. Quinn's father was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading this morning's newspaper Quinn had left on the table for him. Neither wife nor husband said anything to each other.

Quinn sighed, and grabbed the only set of cars keys they had. They had decided long ago that dad's car should be sold; he wouldn't be going anywhere soon, unless under Quinn's mother's or Quinn's supervision, and anyways money was tight and an extra car was more expense than what it was worth.

Quinn grabbed her bag as her mother took her plate to the sink and rinsed it off slowly. Quinn waited impatiently as she put her dishes away, before grabbing her purse and following me out to the driveway.

"Bye Papa!" Quinn yelled before closing and locking the front door. The super market her mother worked at was only fifteen minutes away, but Quinn couldn't take any chances with her father being in danger. She made sure she had her car and house keys, as well as cell phone, before unlocking the car and getting in.

Quinn closed the door, and made their way to her mother's work. The ride was mostly quiet, with the exception of the rare question here and there from Quinn's mother. "So how are your classes going?" or "How is your job going?" were a few of the questions her mother frequently asked. It was annoying, because that's all she could come up with for questions. She knew nothing about her own daughter, but still had the nerve to call herself Quinn's mother. Quinn would usually answer with one word replies, and everyone seemed content not to talk after the exchanges.

They soon approached the parking lot to the grocery store, and Quinn stopped to let her mother out. "Bye." Quinn stated, as her mother nearly fell out of the car. She nodded and thanked Quinn, and she sped off after she saw that Charlotte got through the doors safely.

Ok, so this is my second attempt at this story. After about three years of having it saved in my drive I found it again, and decided it was worth another shot. I originally started this story to write something different from what was found in usually imprint stories, and I think I can (hopefully) accomplish something that fulfills that goal! I am having a really hard time editing from first to third person POV, so if there are any slip ups let me know! This is only a rough draft in itself, I'm just trying to get something posted for now to keep me accountable!


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